Meet 15-year-old Russian skating phenom Yulia Lipnitskaya

SOCHI, Russia (KSDK) – She's only 15 years old and barely over 5'2", but "size matters not" when it comes to Russian skating phenom Yulia Lipnitskaya.

Her dazzling performance in the team figure skating event earned Russia its first medal of the 2014 Olympics, and now, she's set to dominate the stage on her own during the ladies short program.

She began figure skating when she was just four years old. Her father, Vyacheslav, enlisted in the Russian army before Yulia was born, and never came back. Yulia's mother asked a prominent coach to accept her daughter into training, an offer she excitedly took on, impressed by the young talent.

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia performs in the Women's Figure Skating Team Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. YURI KADOBNOV AFP/Getty Images

SAINT JOHN, NB - OCTOBER 26: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia skates during the ladies free program on day two at the ISU GP 2013 Skate Canada International at Harbour Station on October 26, 2013 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Dave Sandford Getty Images

SAINT JOHN, NB - OCTOBER 27: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia skates during the gala exhibition on day three at the ISU GP 2013 Skate Canada International at Harbour Station on October 27, 2013 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Dave Sandford Getty Images

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 05: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia celebrates after her routine in the Ladies Short Program during day one of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013/2014 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on December 5, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan. Chris McGrath Getty Images

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 07: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia compete in the ladies's free skating during day three of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013/2014 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on December 7, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan. Atsushi Tomura Getty Images

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 07: (L-R) Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia, Mao Asada of Japan, and Ashley Wagner of the USA pose with their medals in the Ladies Free Skating Final victory ceremony during day three of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013/2014 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on December 7, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan. Chris McGrath Getty Images

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 08: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia performs her routine in the ISU Gala during day four of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013/2014 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on December 8, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan. Chris McGrath Getty Images

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 08: Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia performs her routine in the ISU Gala during day four of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013/2014 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on December 8, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan. Chris McGrath Getty Images

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia performs in the Women's Figure Skating Team Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. ADRIAN DENNIS AFP/Getty Images

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia performs in the Women's Figure Skating Team Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. ALEXANDER NEMENOV AFP/Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 08: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Figure Skating Team Ladies Short Program during day one of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 8, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Streeter Lecka Getty Images

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia performs in the Women's Figure Skating Team Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. ADRIAN DENNIS AFP/Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 08: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Figure Skating Team Ladies Short Program during day one of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 8, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Streeter Lecka Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 08: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Figure Skating Team Ladies Short Program during day one of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 8, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Streeter Lecka Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 08: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Figure Skating Team Ladies Short Program during day one of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 8, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Robert Cianflone Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 09: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Team Ladies Free Skating during day two of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace onon February 9, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Matthew Stockman Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 09: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Team Ladies Free Skating during day two of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace onon February 9, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Matthew Stockman Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 09: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Team Ladies Free Skating during day two of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace onon February 9, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Matthew Stockman Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 09: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia competes in the Team Ladies Free Skating during day two of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace onon February 9, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Clive Mason Getty Images

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia waves in the "Kiss and Cry" zone after performing in the Women's Figure Skating Team Free Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 9, 2014. AFP AFP/Getty Images

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia smiles in the "Kiss and Cry" zone after performing in the Women's Figure Skating Team Free Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 9, 2014. AFP AFP/Getty Images

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia waves after performing in the Women's Figure Skating Team Free Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 9, 2014. AFP AFP/Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 09: Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia looks on while waiting for her score in the Team Ladies Free Skating during day two of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace onon February 9, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Pool Getty Images

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 10: Gold medalists Yulia Lipnitskaya (L) and Evgeny Plyushchenko of Russia celebrate during the medal ceremony for the Team Figure Skating Overall on day 3 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Medals Plaza in the Olympic Park on February 10, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Streeter Lecka Getty Images

When Yulia was 10, she and her mother – who worked multiple jobs to make ends meet – moved from Yekaterinburg to Russia to train.

'My mother gave up everything for me. In Yekaterinburg, she had a job and an apartment in the centre of the city, and her whole life. And in Moscow - nothing. We did not even know where we will live. It is now all normal.' The journey was across two time zones, and 1120 miles,"' Yulia told the Daily Mail.

The move paid off. Yulia is the 2014 European champion, the 2013 Grand Prix Final silver medalist and a two-time Russian silver medalist. Even though she qualified for the Sochi Olympics by just 23 days, on Feb. 9, she became the youngest Olympic gold medalist in ladies figure skating history, beating out Tara Tipinski by six days.